


Harder Than It Looks

by jesileigh



Category: Arrow - Fandom
Genre: Angst, Canon-Compliant, F/M, Fluff, Gen, Missing Scene, parenting
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-11-26
Updated: 2017-11-26
Packaged: 2019-02-06 21:54:35
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,488
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12826908
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/jesileigh/pseuds/jesileigh
Summary: A response to my own question on Twitter regarding episode 607:"Ok but where was the scene of Felicity calling her mom in a panic after taking William home that night, like “It’s a long story but I need some quick single Mom hacks for parenting a 12 year old please don’t ask why.”"





	Harder Than It Looks

**Author's Note:**

> Just a quick one shot. Thanks to @ShippingAcademy for reading through it for me.

She’s pacing the floor outside the brand new interrogation room, stopping to stare at the heavy door every few minutes as she waits. Her shoes click against the marble floor and echo as she wrings her hands anxiously. The FBI agent--Watson--leans casually against the wall with her arms crossed. She’s watching Felicity, calculating and studying her. She knows she needs to hold it together in front of this woman, but she feels absolutely sick to her stomach over having just witnessed Oliver put in handcuffs. It isn’t the first time she’s seen such a thing, or worse. But that they did it in front of the city and in front of  _ William  _ has Felicity both seething and nauseated simultaneously. 

 

The door clicks open and Felicity jumps, startled as she locks eyes with William exiting the room. Agent Watson raises a judgemental eyebrow at the two of them, and Felicity is so distracted that she is completely thrown off-guard when the twelve year old boy throws himself into her arms with a quiet sob. It’s entirely instinct that has her wrapping her arms around him and holding him tightly. 

“He’s going to be okay, Will,” she promises, the words muffled against his messy brown hair. “What did he tell you?” 

“He told me to go home with you,” he says, pulling away to look up at her. “You’ll stay with me, right? Until Dad comes home?” Felicity opens her mouth to respond but suddenly feels a wave of panic rush over her. She was fine being the fun family friend who played video games and fed him ice cream for dinner last week, but suddenly she’s facing an unknown future--one where she is the guardian of an adolescent boy for an undetermined amount of time. And holy frak that scares her like nothing ever has before. She notices Agent Watson watching them closely and she feels a firm resolve take the fear’s place in her gut. 

“Of course I will. We’ve got this, kiddo.” She pulls William back to her for another hug and sends a challenging look Watson’s way as she walks William away from the interrogation room, back to the precinct lobby where Dinah, Rene and Quentin await them. 

 

Felicity couldn’t be more thankful that they sneak them out a side door, allowing them to avoid the majority of the crowd and reporters that have gathered like vultures waiting to swoop in on them. In a matter of moments she’s in the backseat of a town car with William by her side and Dinah across from them for security. She can’t help but notice the way William’s nervous tic of rubbing his fingers together is so much like his father’s, and it sends a pang through her heart at the thought. 

“If you need me to stick around once we get you home, I can,” Dinah offers, breaking the heavy silence after a long moment. 

“I think we’ll be okay,” Felicity tells her. “Besides, I think Oliver might need you more than we do over at the--” she cuts herself off when William’s head whips around to look at her, anxious confusion all over his face. “I mean...the team. The team will probably need you.” Dinah nods, completely understanding what Felicity had meant. The majority of the criminals locked up in Star City were put there by the Green Arrow and his team. The rest of them were there because the mayor’s toughness on crime had put them there. Either way they looked at it, Oliver was a target. And defending himself against any potential attacks meant risking exposing that he was, indeed, the Green Arrow. She knew she could count on Dinah to keep watch over him and make sure he came home to them in one piece. 

 

They pull up in front of the apartment building and are greeted by only a small flock of paparazzi. It only takes one growled “Wanna see how far I can shove that camera up your--” from Dinah before they back off and William and Felicity are ushered inside. She’s never been happier that Oliver had chosen an apartment in the same building as hers, because it means she can stop by the loft to get a bag of essentials. Despite the fact that she and Oliver have been officially back together for weeks now, she still hasn’t spent the night. Not for lack of wanting to--she just wasn’t ready to explain to her boyfriend’s son why she was there for breakfast the next morning yet. 

 

It’s nearly seven o’clock when they get to Oliver and William’s place, and in all the excitement and chaos of the day, she realizes that neither of them have eaten since breakfast when William points out that he’s hungry. 

 

“Dinner. Right,” Felicity agrees, heading for the kitchen. She checks the freezer, the refrigerator and the cupboards, sighing in defeat when she  can’t find a single microwaveable meal or frozen pizza anywhere. “Seriously, Oliver?” she says with clenched teeth. She slams the cupboard door with a bit more aggression than is truly necessary, and yelps when she sees William waiting, expectantly, on the other side of the counter. 

 

“Dad says you shouldn’t be in the kitchen alone,” he tells her. Felicity wants to protest, but he’s not exactly  _ wrong _ about that. William cracks a small smile, quite a feat given everything he’s gone through today, and starts bustling around the kitchen, pulling out a pot and various ingredients. Felicity stands back and watches, a strange feeling of pride and admiration coming over her as he works. He’s so focused and in the zone, just like Oliver in the kitchen. And she can’t help but be in awe over how much like his dad he is, despite Oliver having missed out on the first twelve years of his life. 

 

“You know, I had a single mom growing up too,” Felicity tells him, sliding onto a stool at the counter. “But I just learned how to order pizza and heat up toaster waffles.”

 

“Oliver and Raisa have been teaching me a few things,” William explains, adjusting the heat on the stove as he pours some pasta shells into the boiling water. “But my mom and I used to bake together almost every weekend.” Felicity notes the shuddering breath he takes, but he continues. “Mostly cookies. But she made really great brownies too. And pies.” 

 

“Oh I love pie,” Felicity says. “It’s my favorite dessert, hands down.” 

“Maybe we can make one together sometime?” William offers hopefully. Felicity smiles at him and nods, feeling a bit choked up. 

“I’d like that a lot.” William returns her smile and stirs the pasta again before Felicity adds, “He’s going to be okay. You know that, right?” 

“You can’t know that for sure, Felicity,” William retorts, his brow furrowed. 

“Will--” she tries to reassure him.

“Just  _ stop _ !” he explodes, slamming the wooden spoon down on the counter. His fists clench and he keeps his back to her. “I’m so  _ sick _ of adults lying to me and telling me everything is going to be okay.  _ Nothing _ about this is okay!”

“You’re right,” she agrees, her voice tentative and soft. “And I’m so sorry you have to go through it, especially after--everything else.”

“He told me to be as strong as he knows I can be,” William tells her, and she can tell he’s trying his hardest to hold back tears, even though he’s still facing away from her. “But what if I don’t want to be strong anymore? What if...what if I can’t?” 

 

Her heart breaks in two at how defeated he sounds, and she can’t stop herself from jumping up from her stool and going to him. 

“It’s okay to not be okay,” she assures him, wrapping an arm around him. He tenses for a moment and she thinks he’s going to pull away, but instead he turns into her like he had at the precinct, letting her hug him closer. “But if I know anything about your dad--it’s that he’s going to do everything he can to come home to you as soon as he can.”

“To us,” William counters. “Come home to us.” Felicity gives a teary laugh.

“Definitely. And until then? I’m not going anywhere, okay?” William pulls back and looks at her, as though he’s trying to decide whether or not he can believe her. When he finally nods she feels herself relax a little bit but she keeps him in her embrace until he awkwardly says,

“Umm...Felicity? I need to drain the pasta now.” She jumps back and clears her throat.

“Right. Yes. That’s...I’m gonna be right back, okay?” 

 

With that, she excuses herself from the kitchen, making her way towards Oliver’s bedroom and pulling out her phone as she closes the door behind her. Her finger hovers over the phone number for a long moment before she finally takes a deep breath and dials. 

“Hi baby!” comes her mom’s shrill, excited squeal before it’s even had a chance to ring three times. Felicity winces.

“Hey--hi, Mom,” she says, trying to keep her own volume down. 

“I thought for a minute there that you’d forgotten my number or something,” Donna chastises and Felicity silently rolls her eyes. 

“Things have been...a little bit busy around here lately,” she explains.

“Well tell me all about it! How’s Oliver?” And of course she’s cutting to the chase. She’d spent most of her visit to Star City trying her damndest to get Felicity to talk about where she and Oliver stood. She still had no clue that they were seeing each other again, and although Felicity preferred it that way, she had called her mom for a reason.

“He’s uh...well...he’s going through some things. Which is kind of why I called? I need some advice,” she admits. She can almost see her mom puffing out her chest at the request.

“What kind of advice?” Donna asks suspiciously.

“Umm...parenting? Advice?” 

“FELICITY MEGAN SMOAK ARE YOU PREGNANT?!” Donna shrieks, and Felicity has to hold the phone away from her ear again. 

“ _ Absolutely not _ !” she hisses, cracking the door open to check on William. He’s adding more ingredients to the pot on the stove, and Felicity can’t help but proudly note that he hasn’t set off the smoke alarm once. When she’s satisfied he hasn’t heard her mother’s meltdown she slides the door closed again. “Why do you always just assume I’m pregnant?”

“Well what on Earth do you need parenting advice for?” Donna demands. 

“I’m helping Oliver with William while he’s... _ away _ ...and I have absolutely zero experience and Oliver is so good at it and I don’t want to screw it up so I thought--”

“I’ve always dreamed of this day,” her mom interrupts, her voice wavering with emotion.

“Listen. All I need to know is how to keep a 12 year old boy alive until his dad gets home. Apparently he can feed himself, so that’s one less thing to worry about.”

“Well you were pretty self-sufficient and independent by that age,” Donna says thoughtfully. “You pretty much parented yourself!”

“Trust me, I remember,” Felicity says, almost bitterly, before sighing. “I’m sorry--that wasn’t--I didn’t mean--”

“No, you’re right,” Donna reassures her. “I wasn’t there like I should have been.”

“You couldn’t be. You were working to take care of us,” Felicity reminds her. She can almost her her mom smile through the phone, accepting that as the olive branch it is. 

“It’s not as easy as you thought, huh?” Donna teases, and Felicity has to chuckle. “How are Oliver and William doing?” she adds. And as annoying as her mother’s nosiness can be sometimes, she can’t help but be touched about how concerned she is for them.

“Better than expected, I suppose,” Felicity says with a sigh. “Oliver is-- _ God _ he’s so good at this already. It’s pretty amazing.”

“I told you he’d be the best daddy in the world, didn’t I?” Donna says. “And now that you can see that for yourself, maybe you’ll actually give him another chance.” Felicity can’t think of a reason not to, so she sighs as she tells her,

“Actually we’re...we’re kind of seeing each other again.”

“What do you mean kind of?” Donna asks. 

“Well not  _ kind of _ . We are,” she admits. 

“And now you’re playing mom while Oliver’s out of town?” 

“I...I guess?” Felicity shrugs. “Oliver gave me the impression that ice cream is not an acceptable dinner option, though. And what about bedtimes? And screen time? Do I need to make sure he brushes his teeth and wears deodorant? Wait--do twelve year olds even wear deodorant? I cannot mess this up or Oliver is seriously going to reconsider whether or not he really wants--”

“You’re going to do just fine, Felicity,” her mother says softly. “Trust me on this. The fact that you’re worried you won’t just goes to show how much you care about this little boy.”

“I do,” she insists. “So much more than I thought I would.”

“Isn’t it magical? They way they make you fall in love with them?” Felicity feels her eyes well up with tears as she huffs out a laugh.

“Just follow his lead and if you aren’t sure about something, check in with Oliver. You’ve got this,” Donna promises her. Felicity’s laugh is much more nervous and timid this time and it isn’t missed by her mother. “I’m so happy for you, baby girl, and for your boys, that you all have each other. And you can bet I’ll be flying in for a visit for the holidays to see you.” 

“Thanks, Mom,” Felicity says. “I can’t wait to see you.”

“Me neither, baby.”

 

They hang up and Felicity takes a moment to collect herself. When she exits the room she sees that William has the table set perfectly; dishes of macaroni and cheese, steamed broccoli and a plate of garlic bread waiting on the counter. 

 

“I hope broccoli is okay--it’s all we had because Raisa hasn’t gone--”

“It’s perfect,” Felicity insists, resting a hand on his shoulder. “Tomorrow you’ll have to teach me how to navigate a kitchen.” William smiles proudly at her. 

“Maybe we’ll start with something easy, like toast,” he teases. 

“That’s probably safest,” Felicity concedes. 

  
William doesn’t have a bedtime that night, rather, he falls asleep on one end of the couch while Felicity falls asleep on the other, both of them drifting off to the new season of Stranger Things together (PG 13 is only a _suggestion_ , Felicity argues). The next morning he wakes up to an only-slightly-burnt omelette with his toast. It’s the first thing he tells Oliver about when he returns to them that night, and the looks of pride on both of her boys’ faces is definitely something she could get used to.


End file.
